1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to target devices that are employed by firearm users for the purpose of marksmanship training and practice, for general shooting activities and for sighting in the various types of sighting devices that are mounted on firearms. More particularly, the present invention concerns a portable free-standing target mechanism that presents a silhouette or other type of target on a bullet resistant panel that enables a firearm user to determine when the target has been struck, thus verifying the accuracy of firearm sighting and shooting activities. Even more specifically, the present invention concerns a portable target mechanism that can be set up or taken down in a short period of time and requires little or no preparation of the site, except for the choice of a site having a backdrop that is capable of stopping any bullets that should miss the target.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Regardless whether a firearm is to be used for tactical shooting activities by military or police personnel, is to be used for hunting or sporting shooting activities or is intended to be used for training by competitive marksmen, there is virtually always a need for shooting bullets at targets. Targets can be provided at permanent shooting ranges and can be fixed or can be moveable from a retracted non-exposed position to an exposed position where the target can be seen by a shooter. The target can be of the silhouette type, typically representing the body or torso of a human, or the body of an animal, or can be in the form of a panel that is provided with a replaceable paper target that is printed with target indicia in the form of circles, squares or other desired shapes. Portable firearm targets are also frequently provided, which can be set up for shooting activities in a short period of time; however these types of target devices or mechanisms are typically lacking from the standpoint of durability and are often damaged and rendered useless during firearm shooting activities.
Silhouette targets, whether permanently installed or of portable nature typically employ a bullet resistant panel that is composed of a durable material, such as steel plate, that can reflect a bullet or its components back along its trajectory when struck, thus presenting considerable hazard to the user of the firearm. Steel plate material has an inherent spring-like characteristic, and when struck by a bullet, the spring characteristic of the target plate, resulting from the preloading energy of a bullet strike, can propel the bullet directly back to the shooter. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a plate-like target that is supported in predetermined angulated orientation that directs a reflected bullet into the ground or away from the shooter. It is also desirable to provide a target mechanism having a bullet resistant metal panel and also having the capability for catching or redirecting a reflected bullet and preventing its reflected flight in any direction away from the target plate of a target mechanism.